Faculty & Staff Policy Book

• Travel Timeline
• Griffin College Research Expectations
• Teaching & Learning Expectations
• Teaching & Learning Expectations
• Service Expectations
• Service Expectations

Travel Timeline

1. Complete and submit the Faculty Funding Request Form.

2. Funding approval received.

3. Complete travel authorization in Concur

4. Book airline and hotel minimum three weeks prior to travel.  Airfare and hotel cannot be
    booked using a department or college travel card until the travel authorization has
    been approved in Concur.

 

 

Griffin College Research Expectations

College Research Expectations

All faculty, regardless of rank (Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor), are expected to participate in and produce some form of scholarly research that supports the mission of the Griffin College of Business and maintains AACSB standards.

The conferences listed below are merely suggestions and are not prescriptive. We encourage you to seek out and participate in academic and professional engagements relevant to your discipline, rank, and research agenda.

AACSB Research Categories

The Griffin College of Business uses the AACSB framework to categorize faculty researchcontributions. Your research, whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, typically falls into one of these three broad categories:

AACSB Category	AACSB Definition
Basic or Discovery	Focuses on expanding the existing knowledge base and developing new theories within business disciplines.
Applied or Integrative/Application	Leverages foundational knowledge and established theories to address real-world challenges faced by businessprofessionals and their organizations.
Pedagogical or Teaching/Learning	Examines pedagogical theories and methodologies, fostering new insights, strategies, and content that improve the usefulness and effectiveness of business education.

Suggested 2026 Conference Opportunities

The following table includes details for the conferences you requested. Please note that submission deadlines and locations can sometimes change, and you should always verify the latest information on the conference website.

Conference Name & Website	Location (City, State)	Due Date for Submission	Date ofConference
2026 ACTEB Annual Meetinghttps://events.blackthorn.io/en/1I2LTNb7/g/dhg7ThEtB0/2026-acteb-annual-meeting-4a4wNtG3A1/overview	Conway, AR	February 6, 2026 (Proposals)	February 27, 2026
The 2026 Teaching Professor Conferencehttps://www.magnapubs.com/teaching-professor-conference/	St. Louis, MO	December 12, 2025 (Proposals)	June 5-7, 2026
IGBR 2026 Spring Conference (Institute for Global BusinessResearch) https://www.igbr.org/conferences/	Nashville, TN	March 1, 2026 (Proposals)	April 15-17, 2026
SOBIE '26 (Society of Business, Industry, & Economics)https://www.sobieconference.org/	Miramar Beach, FL	April 1, 2026 (Tentative) Submission portal opens mid-December	April 8-10, 2026
Academy of Business Research (ABR) New Orleans Conference https://www.aobronline.com/	New Orleans, LA	February 13, 2026 (Proposals)	March 18-20, 2026

Please complete and submit the NGCoB Faculty Funding Request form (attached) and consult with your department chair regarding research support and travel funding for any conference you wish to attend. We look forward to seeing your scholarly contributions throughout the next year.

Teaching & Learning Expectations

Teaching & Learning Expectations

Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB): Teaching and Service Expectations

Mission Statement                                

The mission of the A-State Neil Griffin College of Business is to provide high-quality management education to traditional and non-traditional students in the Mid-South and to provide support for businesses and communities through research, economic development activities, and consultative services. The College strives to build challenging programs of excellence with emphasis on leadership values, international business, technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development through an educational process that fosters analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, and experiential learning. Emphasis is placed on undergraduate education, while meeting the needs of the business community through select graduate degrees and professional workforce development programs.

 

The College is committed to enhancing the professional development of faculty and staff by supporting applied research, instructional development, and professional growth activities in a collegial environment. Professional development is also provided to students through student organizations, honor societies, and action-based learning. The Mission is strengthened through ongoing review and continuous improvement of all programs and activities.

Preamble and Mission Alignment

This policy document establishes clear expectations for all faculty within the Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB) to ensure a consistent, high-quality, and engaging educational experience for our students, in alignment with our mission to foster effective teaching and learning.

As an AACSB-accredited institution, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, which requires a shared commitment to professionalism, timely communication, and continuous improvement in all facets of our work.

I. Teaching and Learning Excellence

The NGCoB prioritizes an instructional environment that promotes deep student engagement, clear expectations, and timely feedback.

A. Course Syllabi and Simple Syllabus Mandate

Clear and comprehensive syllabi are foundational to student success. The use of a standardized, accessible platform is required to ensure consistency and compliance.

Simple Syllabus Mandate: Effective Spring 2026, all course syllabi must be created, maintained, and delivered to students using the Simple Syllabus tool integrated within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).

• Syllabus Availability Timeline:
• 15-week courses (and equivalent sessions): The syllabus must be published and made available to students no later than Friday of the first week of class.
• Compressed courses (5-week, 7-week, Spring/Summer Interims, and other non-standard sessions): The syllabus must be published and made available to students no later than the first day of the course.
• Syllabus Coverage:
• The syllabus provided to students must be for the entire duration of the respective course modality (full 15 weeks, 5 weeks, 7 weeks, spring and summer interims, etc.).
• Comprehensive Due Dates and LMS Integration:
• Syllabi must include due dates for expected assignments, exams, projects, and activities throughout the course.
• If assignments, quizzes, or other graded activities are completed in external web portals or third-party platforms (e.g., McGraw Hill Connect, Pearson MyLab, Cengage MindTap, Lumen Learning Waymaker, etc.), these items must be integrated into the Canvas LMS (via a sync or manual entry) so that students are sent required notifications, reminders and alerts regarding due dates via the Canvas system and so that grades are integrated into the Canvas gradebook.
• LMS (Canvas) Central Repository for all Grades:
  All student grades for both traditional and online courses must be entered into Canvas to ensure students have timely access to their progress. Faculty are required to use Canvas as the primary platform for storing grades rather than external spreadsheets. Grades must be shared within 3 business days after each assessment due date, not just at the end of the semester. Faculty must download an offline copy of their Canvas LMS gradebook to their university-issued computer once a week. These weekly backups ensure student data remains secure and accessible during potential LMS downtime, data breaches, or system outages.

A-State Queretaro Faculty are required to record all their class sessions, regardless of modality, in compliance with the Mexican Secretariat of Public Education (SEP). Recording all lectures ensures that even if a student is unable to attend classes, they have access to the recording of the class session as part of their tuition, per the Mexican SEP. 

B. Class Attendance and Participation Policy

Regular attendance and participation are critical for achieving course learning objectives
(A-State Undergraduate Bulletin 2025 - 2026) Link: https://catalog.astate.edu/index.php?catoid=12

• Faculty-Defined Policy: Each faculty member shall define a clear and detailed class attendance and participation policy in their course syllabus, consistent with any broader NGCoB or A-State Class Attendance policies.
• Impact on Grade: Faculty must clearly state how attendance and/or participation impacts the final course grade. As best practices suggest, faculty are encouraged to focus the grading impact on engagement and learning outcomes.
• Documentation: Syllabi should inform students of procedures for reporting absences and the expectation to complete all missed work, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

C. Specific Guidelines for Online Courses

·      Instructional Presence and Engagement Strategy: Faculty will maintain an active online teaching presence by providing weekly video or module-overview introductions and regular course updates. Courses must include active learning opportunities (e.g., case studies, software simulations, discussion boards, group work/interaction) that offer clear expectations for student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction. Faculty will also host at least one virtual meeting each week. The virtual meeting must be at least 30 minutes long and recorded, with the video posted to Canvas. As our online courses are asynchronous, student attendance is optional. As a best practice, the virtual meeting should be scheduled at a consistent time and announced at the beginning of the term.

·      Course Navigation and Structure: Online courses must be designed with a logical flow that includes a clear "Start Here" module and have zero "dead ends." This transparent setup ensures that students can easily find syllabus requirements, understand how their online participation affects their final grade, and locate procedures for reporting absences or turning in missed work.

·      Feedback Timeliness and Progress Support: Faculty must return all grades and feedback within 3 business days of submission to support student learning outcomes and keep students informed of their progress. This quick turnaround provides students with timely guidance on current assignments before they move on to more advanced course modules.

II. Faculty Communication and Professional Conduct

Faculty are expected to maintain professional and timely communication with students, colleagues, and administrators. Faculty must communicate with students exclusively through official A-State email accounts or designated learning management system channels. Faculty are strictly prohibited from using any texting platform to communicate with students. Texting platforms include SMS, WhatsApp, or other messaging applications.

A. Timeliness of Student Communication

• Response Expectation: All faculty members are expected to respond promptly and professionally to student emails and course-related inquiries. Faculty at Campus Queretaro who still advise may have a delayed response during peak registration times.
  
  
• One Business Day Response Mandate (All Modalities):
• Faculty teaching in all modalities (traditional face-to-face, hybrid, fully online synchronous, or fully online asynchronous) are expected to respond to student emails within one (1) business day of being received.
• Friday Afternoon Exception: If student emails are received on a Friday after 12:00 PM (noon) CST, the faculty member is expected to respond by Tuesday of the following week.
• Faculty are not expected to respond to emails over weekends or on Arkansas State University holidays. If a longer delay is anticipated (e.g., due to travel, advising, or significant research commitments), faculty are encouraged to use an automatic email reply to inform students of the expected response time.
• Proactive Communication: Faculty must communicate with students in a timely and appropriate manner about course-related issues. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Notifying junior- or senior-level students who are missing class or have excessive absences (A-State Undergraduate Bulletin https://catalog.astate.edu/index.php?catoid=12). 

B. Faculty Presence and Modality-Specific Expectations

1. Jonesboro Campus Faculty

• Campus Presence Mandate: On-campus Jonesboro faculty members are under contract to be available on the Jonesboro campus Monday through Friday during the standard work week (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM), regardless of their specific teaching schedule. This ensures that faculty are available for in-person office hours, committee meetings, student mentoring, and engagement in the academic community.
• Accessible Office Hours: All faculty must maintain a minimum of 8 hours per week to respond to students’ questions and concerns and to provide mentorship that supports student success. Faculty must hold at least six (6) office hours in-person within their designated office space to facilitate student and on-campus committee meetings. Fully remote faculty may hold all their office hours (at least 8)virtually.
• Predictable Communication: Online course faculty are expected to maintain regular communication with students (e.g., Canvas announcements, messages, and email) to promote consistency, connections, and reduce student stress.

2.   Queretaro Campus Faculty

Campus Presence Mandate:  A-State CQ faculty are required to be on campus Monday through Friday and must post their office hours to facilitate student appointments for out-of-class meetings, advising, etc.  Campus Queretaro faculty are required to hold 2 hours of office hours per class. Full-time instructors at Campus Querétaro without terminal degrees are required to hold at least 10 office hours (equivalent to 5 classes) per week.

3.      3. Adjunct Faculty

·       Accessible Office Hours: All adjunct faculty, regardless of modality, must set aside at least one (1) hour per week for virtual/in-person office hours, ensuring students can meet out of class to have questions or concerns addressed.

Service Expectations

Service Expectations

Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB): Service Expectations

Mission Statement

The mission of the A-State Neil Griffin College of Business is to provide high-quality management education to traditional and non-traditional students in the Mid-South and to provide support for businesses and communities through research, economic development activities, and consultative services. The College strives to build challenging programs of excellence with emphasis on leadership values, international business, technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development through an educational process that fosters analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, and experiential learning. Emphasis is placed on undergraduate education, while meeting the needs of the business community through select graduate degrees and professional workforce development programs.

 

The College is committed to enhancing the professional development of faculty and staff by supporting applied research, instructional development, and professional growth activities in a collegial environment. Professional development is also provided to students through student organizations, honor societies, and action-based learning. The Mission is strengthened through ongoing review and continuous improvement of all programs and activities.

Preamble and Mission Alignment

This policy document establishes clear expectations for all faculty within the Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB) to ensure a consistent, high-quality, and engaging educational experience for our students, in alignment with our mission to foster effective teaching and learning, impactful research, and transformative community service.

As an AACSB-accredited institution, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, which requires a shared commitment to professionalism, timely communication, and continuous improvement in all facets of our work.

I. Transformative Community Service

The NGCoB maintains a focus on the three pillars of the faculty mission (Research, Teaching, Service). Faculty are expected to contribute to all three areas to a degree consistent with their appointment, rank, and AACSB qualification status. The Neil Griffin College of Business recognizes service to the community under two major subcategories: (1) Professional Service and (2) Service to the A-State Community. Professional service is the

application of faculty professional expertise to needs, issues, and problems in service to

professional associations as well as to business, government, not-for-profit enterprises,

and the general citizenry. Service to the A-State Community is the application of faculty expertise to the operation and governance of the University, including academic programs,

departments/schools, colleges, and other components of the University.

Evaluation Guidelines and Criteria for Service Activities

The evaluation of service requires consideration of a variety of factors, including both professional and University service. Both the amount and the quality of service contributions must be considered. Factors used to evaluate service include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Holding office or completing a major assignment with a regional, national, or international professional organization;
  
  
• Consultation and service to civic organizations, social agencies, government, business, or industry that is related to the faculty member's teaching, research, or administrative work at Arkansas State University (Typically, consulting service provided for extra salary is considered outside employment and therefore, not included in the evaluation of the faculty member’s performance). The following is a list of acceptable services. This list is not prescriptive nor exhaustive. 

1.     Responsibility for planning workshops, seminars, or conferences for department/school, college, University, or professional groups.

2.     Chairing or leading department/school, college, or University committees.

3.     Nomination for or receipt of an award that recognizes service to department/school, college, University, or to groups outside of the University.

4.     Serving as program chair or another instrumental role for a professional state, regional, national, or international meeting or conference.

5.     Serving as consultant, advisor, or board member to educational, civic, social, business, or other groups.

6.     Reviewing, refereeing, or editing journal articles, grant proposals, and book manuscripts.

7.     Serving on accreditation or evaluation teams externally, or conducting reviews, collecting data, and writing reports for internal program reviews or accreditation.

8.     Chairing or moderating a session at a professional state, regional, national, or international meeting or conference.

9.     Submitting competitive grant or contract proposals for activities related primarily to service.

10.  Obtaining a competitive grant or contract for activities related primarily to service.

11.  Service on a University, college, or department/school committee.

12.  Administering areas or programs within the department/school, college, or University.

13.  Using state-of-the-art disciplinary/interdisciplinary knowledge to facilitate change in community organizations or institutions.

Using disciplinary/interdisciplinary knowledge to make substantive contributions to public policy.

A. Service to the A-State Communities

• Service Obligation: Faculty have a contractual obligation to perform service activities that benefit Arkansas State University's internal and external communities.
• Internal Service: This includes active and sustained participation on departmental, college, and university committees, advising student organizations, engaging in policy decisions, and providing mentorship to both students and colleagues.
• External Service: This includes outreach to external stakeholders, community engagement, professional consultation in NGCoB-approved activities, and service on relevant boards of directors.

II. Faculty Conflict of Interest and Contractual Expectations

All faculty are responsible for fulfilling the terms of their contract, and their primary obligations to the University must take precedence over external commitments.

• Primary Role Priority: All faculty are to ensure that their primary role as an A-State employee, which encompasses teaching, research, and service, is not usurped by any other contractual agreements or outside obligations (Reference the A-State Faculty Handbook).
• Contractual Availability: Faculty are expected to be available to meet and communicate with students, colleagues, and administrators throughout their contract, including periods at the end of the semester, after teaching and grading are complete.

Avoidance of Conflict: Faculty should not take on obligations, consulting work, or secondary employment that would render them unavailable or inaccessible to perform their core job functions while under contract. Any outside activity that creates a conflict of interest, particularly regarding time commitments or professional availability, must be reported and addressed in accordance with University policy. Link to A-State Conflict of Interest